"Air Management Experts" is a big claim. Plenty of companies sell windshields. Very few can tell you exactly what the air is doing around your motorcycle, why it's doing it, and how they proved their fix works. Here at Klock Werks, the claim comes from a stability problem we hit on the salt at Bonneville, a design we patented to solve it, testing we did to prove it, and years of riders putting it to work on their own bikes.
This is the case for why riders and dealers trust Klock Werks for air management.
It Started With a Problem, Not a Product
Klock Werks began in Mitchell, South Dakota, in a 700 square foot shop, building custom bikes for riders who wanted more. In 2006, Brian Klock and the Klock Krew won the Discovery Channel's Biker Build-Off with a performance bagger, a risky choice in a field full of choppers and cruisers. Then they took that Road Glide to the Bonneville Salt Flats to see how fast it would go.
It hit a wall of air. Laura Klock, piloting the bike, reported the front end getting light and unstable at speed, and the stock windshield was the cause. That run gave the team something no showroom ever could: a real, measurable air management problem at the edge of what a bagger can do.
The full story is told in Klock Werks Wins 2006 Biker Build-Off: The World's Fastest Bagger, the parts and details of the bike are in Build Breakdown: The World's Fastest Bagger, and the records that followed are in The Boss Goes Fast: Brian Klock's Land Speed Records at Bonneville.
From One Fix to a Patented Design
The breakthrough came on the drive home, with a hand held out the truck window Brian Klock, Klock Werks' President, Visionary and Founder, was inspired by a simple theory that lead to the birth of a reshaped and patented windshield seen across the world today. Read more on the history of the Flare® Windshield.
The "flip" is the curved top edge that sends air up and over the rider's helmet. Klock Werks found it lets a Flare® be about 3 to 4 inches shorter than a traditional shield while still keeping the rider in a clean pocket air.
At either side, the "hips" reroute air outward and help create downforce on the front end, for stability in crosswinds and when passing trucks.
With the new shape, the bike returned to Bonneville and set land speed records. That shape became the Flare® windshield. To understand the physics behind it, read The Science of Motorcycle Air Management.
Tested in a Wind Tunnel, Not Just on Feel
Riders can feel a difference, but expertise means measuring it. Before the Flare® went to market, Klock Werks took it to the A2 Wind Tunnel in Mooresville, North Carolina, where speed and conditions can be held steady and forces on the motorcycle measured directly.
The testing confirmed what the salt had shown. A stock touring setup produced up to 30 pounds of lift at highway speed, and a properly sized Flare® turned that into roughly 15 pounds of downforce. That's the difference between a front end that wanders and one that stays planted.
Proven on Riders' Own Bikes
A wind tunnel proves the shape. A rider's own bike proves the fit. Since 2008, Klock Werks has run the Try It Before You Buy It demo program, which lets riders ride with a Flare® on their own motorcycle at a participating dealer before they buy. Few companies are willing to let their product make the case on the road, and that program is still the best proof we have. Find a participating dealer through the Dealer Locator and Demo Program.
Every Flare® is shaped for a specific model and mounts to factory mounting points, from Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® and Road Glide® to Indian® Challenger, BMW® RT and Honda® Gold Wing. That model by model approach is what air management expertise looks like in practice: not one shape for every bike, but the right shape for yours.
Recognized by the Industry
Brian Klock is a Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee, known across the industry as the King of the Baggers. Flare® products have been recognized with the Cycle Source 2024 Source Award for Best Accessory Product and the Powersports Business Nifty 50 Award, and even designed limited edition builds with Indian Motorcycle® and Jack Daniel's® since 2016. Read more in The Jack Daniel's® × Indian Motorcycle® × Klock Werks Collaboration.
From the Bonneville Salt Flats to real-world highway miles, the Flare® Windshield consistently delivers a smoother, more stable ride, maintaining control even in high-speed and crosswind situations. This level of performance is a testament to our commitment to advancing air management for every rider, every ride.
The combination of the hips and flips not only makes for a more comfortable and controlled ride, but it also showcases our deep expertise of air management. Through research and development, we’ve optimized the Flare® Windshield to perform across multiple models and styles of motorcycles, ensuring that every rider experiences the benefits of superior airflow control.
It's Your Ride, You Decide
Being the experts doesn't mean telling every rider what to run. It means giving you the knowledge and the options to choose what fits your bike and your riding, and standing behind it. The Klock Krew still designs, tests and ships from Mitchell, and we still answer fitment questions ourselves.
Want to learn more about how the patented Flare® design works? Our Flare® Windshield Guide: The Real Fix for Motorcycle Buffeting and Wind Blast breaks down the science behind motorcycle Air Management, what causes helmet buffeting and how the Flare® helps redirect airflow for a better ride.
People Also Ask
Q: Why is Klock Werks called the air management experts?
Because the Flare® came from solving a real high speed stability problem at Bonneville, the design is patented, it was tested at the A2 Wind Tunnel, and riders have proven it on their own bikes through the demo program since 2008.
Q: Was the Flare® windshield really wind tunnel tested?
A: Yes. Klock Werks tested the Flare® at the A2 Wind Tunnel in Mooresville, North Carolina, measuring lift and downforce against a stock setup.
Q: Is the Flare® design patented?
A: Yes. The Flip and Hips that define the Flare® are patented Klock Werks designs.
Q: Can I try a Flare® before I buy it?
A: Yes. Participating dealers offer the Try It Before You Buy It demo program. Use the dealer locator to find one near you.
